In the past, efforts have been made to develop an infant chair which is durable, lightweight and relatively simple to manufacture but which is above all safe for even newborn infants. To this end, many of the chairs proposed to date employ wire or tubular frames, which may be rigid or flexible, defining a base and the perimeter of a seat and backrest portion, and an infant-supporting cover of fabric and the like which is applied to the frame such that the baby is cradled therein in a sitting or semi-reclining position. Examples of the prior art include U.S. Pat. Nos. 2,848,040; 3,110,519; and 3,235,306; all to Chernivsky, which are directed generally to baby chairs having a resilient tubular frame consisting of a separable base and inclined seatback portions interengaged by tubular connectors and a pouch-like or fitted fabric cover which is slipped over the seatback portion of the frame so as to create a back rest and seat for the baby. A belt and crotch strap may be provided to hold the baby in the chair. U.S. Pat. No. 3,017,220 to Chernivsky discloses an infant chair of similar configuration additionally provided with a pair of U-shaped members which form side arms and a forward arm rest. A fitted fabric cover is attached to the back and arms; in addition, the fabric section defining the seat is supported by a strap secured to the forward armrest. U.S. Pat. No. 2,988,136 to Kowalczyk discloses the use of a fabric-covered frame portion which makes up the back and leg rests of an infant's chair. The upper and lower panels are connected by threaded fastening means to leg members attached to a rectangular base frame. Yet another approach to a flexible infant chair frame construction is illustrated in U.S. Pat. No. 3,656,808 to Chang, which teaches a single continuously curved tubular frame member.
Although there has been much advancement in the art, there remains a need for a portable frame-type infant seat in which the baby's weight is centered over the base for improved stability on a variety of surfaces thereby resisting both forward and lateral tipping.